jaclaz

@Aaron as correctly pointed out by Alanoll, there is this little (22kb) standalone utility that can manage shortcuts and much more: NirComLine v1.20 Copyright © 2003 Nir Sofer NIRCOMLINE.EXE shortcut [filename] [folder] [shortcut title] {arguments} {icon file} {icon resource number} {ShowCmd} {Start In Folder} Creates a shortcut to a file. The parameters: [filename]: Create a shortcut to this filename. [folder]: Specify that destination folder that inside it the shortcut will be created. You can specify any valid folder (like "c:\temp\1234") or one of the following special folder values: /desktop - Creates the shortcut in the user desktop folder. /startup - Creates the shortcut in the user startup folder. /programs - Creates the shortcut in the user start menu\programs folder. /start_menu - Creates the shortcut in the user start menu folder /common_desktop - Creates the shortcut in the desktop folder of all users. /common_startup - Creates the shortcut in the startup folder of all users. /common_programs - Creates the shortcut in the start menu\programs folder of all users. /common_start_menu - Creates the shortcut in the start menu folder of all users [shortcut title]: The text displayed in the shortcut. {arguments}: Optional parameter - Additional arguments to execute the filename. {icon file}: Optional parameter - Use this parameter if your want that the shortcut will be displayed with icon other than the default one. {icon resource number}: Optional parameter - The resource number inside the icon file. {ShowCmd}: Optional parameter - Use this parameter if you want to maximize or minimize the window of the program. Specify "max" to maximize the window or "min" to minimize it. {Start In Folder}: Optional parameter - Specifies the "Start In" folder. If you don't specify this parameter, the "Start In" folder is automatically filled with the folder of the program you specify in [filename] parameter. Examples: shortcut "f:\winnt\system32\calc.exe" /desktop "Windows Calculator" shortcut "f:\Program Files\KaZaA\Kazaa.exe" "c:\temp\MyShortcuts" "Kazaa" shortcut "f:\Program Files" "c:\temp\MyShortcuts" "Program Files Folder" "" "f:\winnt\system32\shell32.dll" 45 shortcut "f:\Program Files" "c:\temp\MyShortcuts" "Program Files Folder" "" "" "" "max" that you can find here: http://nirsoft.multiservers.com/ jaclaz

From the type of error you get it seems like the command interpreter takes one of the parameters as the name of a file, and, not finding it, gives the error. You COULD try something like the following: SET COMMAND1="C:\Program Files\DIKO\FreeEnc\FreeEnc.exe" SET PARAM1=/i SET COMMAND2=C:\finals\scripts\11.avs SET PARAM2=/o SET COMMAND3=C:\finals\mpvs\11.mpv SET PARAM3=/2 /b 2000 /aspectratio 4:3 /gopsize 18 /maxbitrate 4000 /priority 5 /dc 8 /mpeg2 /scene /extreme /maxbframes 2 /kvcd /auto /close start /wait %COMMAND1% %PARAM1% %COMMAND2% %PARAM2% %COMMAND3% %PARAM3% ::Clear up Environment Variables used SET COMMAND1= SET PARAM1= SET COMMAND2= SET PARAM2= SET COMMAND3= SET PARAM3= and partialize it to understand which part causes the error. Though seemingly more complex, this way it makes it easier to change paths to the files. Please note that you only need quotes in the COMMAND1 string as there is a space between 'Program' and 'Files' jaclaz

Boot.ini is quite simple, here is an example: [Boot Loader] ::This is the title of the 1st section Timeout=5 ::This is the timeout before default item is loaded Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT ::This is the default item [Operating Systems] ::This is the title of the 2nd section ::Following are actual entries ::First part is the arc path to the partition ::Second part (after the = sign) is the text you see followed by OPTIONS multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Win2k 1st disk 1st partition" /fastdetect multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Win2k 1st disk 2nd partition" /fastdetect multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="Win2k 1st disk 3rd partition" /fastdetect :: and so on... multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Win2k 2nd disk 1st partition" /fastdetect multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINNT="Win2k 2nd disk 2nd partition" /fastdetect multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINNT="Win2k 2nd disk 3rd partition" /fastdetect :: and so on... Here is the complete reference to arc paths: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;q102873 Here is the complete reference to OPTIONS: http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/info/bootini.shtml Here is a good GUI editor for Boot.ini: http://www.dx21.com/SOFTWARE/Dx21/ViewItem...I=2&SI=2&OID=14 Here is the "MAGIC" program that lets you repair Boot.ini, the bootsector of the drive and many more: http://www.winimage.com/bootpart.htm jaclaz

Your original listing works in Opera, however. Maybe it is some settings in your copy of Firefox. jaclaz

Well, as John Newbigin, author of dd for windows and rawrite for NT, clearly states, Real programmers drink Coke! http://uranus.it.swin.edu.au/~jn/coke.htm jaclaz

This is a good site with photos of REAL SIGNS: http://www.getawaytoafrica.com/content/mag...signs/index.asp Here is a good example: jaclaz

This is one way: Windows NT and Windows 2000 You can disable Ctrl-Alt-Del on NT and 2K but this is very risky. It can prevent you from ever being able to log on again! Be sure to enable Automatic Logon by specifying DefaultDomainName, DefaultUserName, DefaultPassword and AutoAdminLogin in the registry under Windows Login. Otherwise you will not be able to logon again. See Knowledge Base article Q114615 for details - there is a link on my links page. You may also want to read my disclaimer page. After you set up automatic logon the logon dialog no longer appears at startup. You are then unable to logon as a different user until the automatic logon and below code is disabled in the registry. You may be able to temporarily bypass the automatic logon by holding down the Shift key as windows is starting This code was donated by Paul Johnston. Public Sub SetupScancodeMap() Dim bArray(1 To 48) As Byte On Error Resume Next If g_bDebugMode = True Then Exit Sub ' ' Setup the keyboard scancode mapping to disable the Windows keys ' and Context menu keys ' bArray(1) = &H0 bArray(2) = &H0 bArray(3) = &H0 bArray(4) = &H0 bArray(5) = &H0 bArray(6) = &H0 bArray(7) = &H0 bArray(8) = &H0 ' ' Number of keys ' bArray(9) = &H6 bArray(10) = &H0 bArray(11) = &H0 bArray(12) = &H0 ' ' Windows key ' bArray(13) = &H0 bArray(14) = &H0 bArray(15) = &H5B bArray(16) = &HE0 ' ' Windows key ' bArray(17) = &H0 bArray(18) = &H0 bArray(19) = &H5C bArray(20) = &HE0 ' ' Windows menu key ' bArray(21) = &H0 bArray(22) = &H0 bArray(23) = &H5D bArray(24) = &HE0 ' ' F10 key ' bArray(25) = &H0 bArray(26) = &H0 bArray(27) = &H44 bArray(28) = &H0 ' ' Left Ctrl-key ' bArray(29) = &H0 bArray(30) = &H0 bArray(31) = &H1D bArray(32) = &H0 ' ' Left Alt-key ' bArray(33) = &H0 bArray(34) = &H0 bArray(35) = &H38 bArray(36) = &H0 ' ' Right Ctrl-key ' bArray(37) = &H0 bArray(38) = &H0 bArray(39) = &H1D bArray(40) = &HE0 ' ' Right Alt-key ' bArray(41) = &H0 bArray(42) = &H0 bArray(43) = &H38 bArray(44) = &HE0 ' ' Null terminator ' bArray(45) = &H0 bArray(46) = &H0 bArray(47) = &H0 bArray(48) = &H0 ' ' Set the new registry value, does not take effect until the next reboot. ' You can use my registry module or your own routine to write the value to the registry. ' Reg_SetKeyValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout", "Scancode Map", bArray, REG_BINARY End Sub If you use this code, please mention "www.TheScarms.com" Found here: http://www.thescarms.com/vbasic/StopReBoot.asp And here is another method, involving a new GINA STUB: http://www.dotnet247.com/247reference/msgs/36/181489.aspx Hello, Thanks for your post. As I understand, you want to trap and disable Ctrl-Alt-Delete programmatically in Win2K. Please correct me if there is any misunderstanding. I reviewed your description carefully, and now I'd like to share the following information with you: 1. As documented in the article to which you pointed, you can use DisableTaskMgr to disable Ctrl+Alt+Del. To trap Ctrl+Alt+Del, you have three options: write a GINA stub, write a keyboard driver, or replace TaskMgr.exe with your own program. I recommend you create a GINA stub which is comparatively easy to implement among these three options. 2. However, we have to use VC instead of VB to implement a GINA Stub. As you know, a GINA Stub is a native dynamic-link library (DLL) exported to Winlogon that requires a valid, consistent function to call into. This requires a DLL export, which .NET Framework does not support. Managed code (VB .NET, C#) has no concept of a consistent value for a function pointer because these function pointers are proxies that are built dynamically. 3. There is an existing GINA Stub sample in MSDN. To trap/disable Ctrl-Alt-Delete, you just need to replace its WlxLoggedOnSAS with the one in my code snippet below. GinaStub Sample: Pass-through "Stub" Gina http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vcsample98/ html/vcsmpginastubsample.asp?frame=true /*----------------------------code snippet----------------------*/ int WINAPI WlxLoggedOnSAS( PVOID pWlxContext, DWORD dwSasType, PVOID pReserved) { if (dwSasType == WLX_SAS_TYPE_CTRL_ALT_DEL) { /* Add additional code of you own */ return WLX_SAS_ACTION_NONE; } else return GWlxLoggedOnSAS( pWlxContext, dwSasType, pReserved ); } /*-----------------------------end of--------------------------------*/ In addition, I believe the following MSDN aritcles are helpful: WlxLoggedOnSAS http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/security/se curity/wlxloggedonsas.asp Loading and Running a GINA DLL http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/security/se curity/loading_and_running_a_gina_dll.asp Please feel free to let me know if you have any problems or concerns. Have a nice day! Regards, HuangTM Microsoft Online Partner Support MCSE/MCSD jaclaz

Ali1978, if I get it right, you just need to make some remote registry modifications, right? Could you not just boot up all PC's normally, then remotely modify the registry, something along the lines of this articles? http://www.windowsitlibrary.com/Content/69/07/1.html (old) http://www.winnetmag.com/Windows/Articles/...714/pg/2/2.html (new) jaclaz

I like RegSeeker, FREEWARE for personal use. http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm I never tried RegSupreme, (suggested above), but I did try a variety of other regcleaners, and this one stands out. Together with it I use these also: Oleclean http://www.geocities.com/drdole/ScreenShots/OleClean.html and Regctrls http://www.softcircuits.com which are very good in refining the job done by RegSeeker. jaclaz

@FloDiggs If the problem is just to password protect BOOTING in WinPE, you could use a boot manager like XOSL that can password protect some boot items. XOSL page: http://www.ranish.com/part/xosl.htm jaclaz

You could try to use this nifty utility from Nirsoft: http://nirsoft.multiservers.com/ To enable/disable service from command line or batch file. NIRCOMLINE http://nirsoft.multiservers.com/utils/nircomline.html But before that, try interactively with the in built Service Manager or (better) with this other Nirsoft utility: SERVIWIN http://nirsoft.multiservers.com/utils/serviwin.html With which is easier to manage dependencies. (I suspect that setting the start as automatic does not actualy start the service if there are any stopped depencies or until reboot, so you should try starting the service manually, see if it works, then reboot) if it doesn't work, check dependecies first, than experiment with the other possible settings, i.e. 0 or 1 for the "Start" key BOOT_START 0x00000000 SYSTEM_START 0x00000001 AUTO_START 0x00000002 DEMAND_START 0x00000003 DISABLED 0x00000004 jaclaz

Hmmm, I doubt that Toshiba wrote an install application and then needs to ZIP the file, could you post a list of the files you get once you UNZIP the exes? Example: LAN Driver (s245ethx).exe > 1>Setup.exe 2>1stfile.xx1 3>2ndfile.xx2 4>...... Maybe we can identify which setup tools has been used and help you further. jaclaz

Well, you can UNZIP them (if they are self extracting ZIP) with WINZIP or UNRAR them (if they are self extracting RAR) with WINRAR Don't be fooled by the .EXE extension, self extracting archives are just .ZIP or :RAR files with a mini-decompressor at the beginning, all wrapped together in a single file. jaclaz

Well, for one thing, Virtual PC is not Microsoft's more then Defrag or Backup is. Product has been developed from CONNECTIX for some years. However, Micro$oft has got the money, so that they just buy the good software already made by someone who is willing to sell it. From the above, you could get the inferation that anything NOT bought by Micro$oft is either: 1) NOT good software 2) made by someone who is NOT willing to sell it I, myself am more a VMWARE fun, as I find it a bit faster, and as it (Version 3.x) does run on my EPIA motherboard.(Version 4 and Virtual PC NEED PENTIUM!). By the way, have you seen these really nifty tools: http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/index.html VMware's back Virtual Disk Driver Version 3 This is a Virtual Disk Driver (VDK) Version 3 for Windows NT / 2000 / XP. I've got some reports that it also works on Windows 2003 Server. With VDK you can mount a VMware virtual disk to your Windows hosts and use them as another disk drive attached to your system. http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vdk.zip VMware's back Virtual Floppy Driver This is a virtual floppy disk driver for Windows NT / 2000 / XP. You can mount a floppy image file as a virtual floppy drive and directly access the contents -- view, edit, rename, delete or create files, format the virtual floppy, launch a program on the virtual floppy... whatever. http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vfd.html I find both of them, though not perfect yet, a must have! jaclaz

You just took me off balance. I am trying to do the same thing. If you are not in a hurry, I reckon in a few days I will be able to post some results of my work. If you want to go your way in the meantime, this is how I am working on it (briefly): 1) Make a minimal win98 working filesystem, along the lines of what published here: http://www.etek.chalmers.se/~e8gus/nano98/ and here: http://www.winimize.com/ 2) use either of this techniques to make it in a bootable CD filesystem: a) Qualystem Qualystem? Rescue 1.2 http://www.qualystem.com/en/download.html NOW FREEWARE B) RAMWIN 98 http://www.geocities.com/politalk/rmdrv/ram98.htm c) ct' magazine c't 11/99, page 206 - Booting Windows From CD-Rom original or derivative work: http://www.lachiesadicristo.it/w98cd/page1.htm 3)Run the NT/2K/XP setup from within the Win98 booted from disk Progress so far: 1) Made a "modular" list of needed Win95/98 files, ranging from a true minimal thingie, about 5Mb, to a semi full install, (working system + possibility to run many apps + needed Control Panels + Possibility to install Printers and Network) about 40 Mb 2) Succeeded in making this minisystem without using Micro$oft setup, extracting files and registry from working Win98 install 3) Succeeded in making it boot from CD To do list: 1) fix the drive lettering 2) test it and make it work on more real systems (Progress done on Virtual Machines only) 3) fix the batch files used 4) write down howto in plain english if you want to make your own try, please post your progresses here. jaclaz

I see from all other posts that, alas, I am becoming very very old. I used to work in a big construction company, and though being just an amateur at PC, often my colleagues called me to help them. We are talking about the good old DOS 3.3 to DOS 5.0 times. Our company bought a few "New" IBM PC's (if I remember it correctly they costed at the time, circa 1988÷1990, something like $2,500 dollars apiece, 286 or 386SX 25Mhz with 4 Mb RAM), and they were the first ones with 3 1/2" floppies. The PC guy just replaced the PC's without saying anything, and a few days later a secretary called me saying she couldn't read from the floppy. After trying an "A:" and getting "Device not ready" error, I realized she had somehow forced a 5 1/4" 1.2 Mb floppy in the GAP between the 3 1/2" floppy drive and the PC cabinet! I had to use a pair of pliers to extract the poor little thing! jaclaz

My two cents: 1) I have never seen, either heard of a "copy protected" Win 98 CD, and I've seen quite a few of them 2) Most probably it is a "mechanical" problem, like misalignment of laser or whatever. 3) Try this proggy (freeware): CDCHECK CDCheck is a utility for the prevention, detection and recovery of damaged files on CD-ROMs with an emphasis on error detection. With CDCheck you can check your CDs and discover which files are corrupted. By using the program proactively, you can insure that your data on CD-ROMs are safe -- before it's too late! CDCheck provides the following features: readability verification, binary compare, CRC file creation (and verification) and file recovery. http://www.elpros.si/CDCheck/ It will tell you what the actual problem is, most probably will let you copy the tricky files, if not post again with results from CDCHECK and we'll see what we can do to help you further. jaclaz P.S. @DisabledTrucker The command above will left behind (if any) all hidden files (/h missing), and will reset the Read only file attribute (/k missing), try this instead: copy32 [cdrom]:\*.* C:\WIN98SE\*.* /i /s /e /r /v /k /f /c /h Note: Xcopy is just a redirection to XCOPY32 /s and /e could be condensed in just /e, but as Nick Rage put it, We even made it easy to remember.. I SERVe Kentucky Fried Chicken Hot!

also, you could try these: RegCmd 0.87a Author: TiANWEi Date: 2004-03-16 Size: 25 Kb License: Freeware Regcmd is a command line based Windows Registry Editor, brought to you by the author of RegShot. http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3423.html RegShot 1.61e5 Final Author: TiANWEi Date: 2003-01-01 Size: 35 Kb License: Freeware RegShot is a small registry compare utility that allows you to quickly take a snapshot of your registry and then compare it with a second one - done after doing system changes or installing a new software product. The changes report can be produced in text or HTML format and contains a list of all modifications that have taken place between snapshot1 and snapshot2. In addition, you can also specify folders (with sub filders) to be scanned for changes as well. What can I do with REGSHOT? - Windows itself or some system-optimize program may change your registry,you might wonder what they have done? - Many suspicious programs left trashes in your registry or in the file system,all those are done without notification! RegShot can trace what they have done and clean the Mark they left! You can use UNDOReg to help undo the entries. http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=965 jaclaz

I might add, you might want to change some settings in the registry. As a matter of fact, what found here: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/winlogo/drvsign/wfp.mspx Means in plain english, that WFP does: 1. Search the dllcache directory. 2.&3. Search the original file in the location specified in this registry key, it can be CD, local Hard disk, network Hard disk: KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\SourcePath HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\ServicePackSourcePath HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SourcePath (info above gathered from this German only Microsoft kb article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b%3Bde%3BD43422 of which I found an english translation, here: http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/survey/bm.htm?FACTNet (well, know I know that I Executive Software finds out I have been cruel to others I will not be able to defrag my hard disk anymore!) So, you should make a backup and delete those keys. I don't know if you reinsert at any time your install CD, if Windows SFC will be able to gather it is the install one and will try again to copy over protected files. jaclaz

Amazing! Try using the help feature, entering any search topic ..... ..lol... I really needed this! jaclaz

diesel_98a Just a few ideas: 1) if you install W98 before XP, why don't you run WINNT32 from it? 2) as I mentioned somewhere else Qualystem has released as FREEWARE their solutions to run W98 from CD Qualystem? Rescue 1.2 Free Edition http://www.qualystem.com/en/download.html you can make a W98 based "pre-installation environment", it could be, combined with some W98 shrinking technique, small enough not to take the space needed by the XP install. (this is something I have been thinking about lately but had too much other things to do I did not have time to investigate further) jaclaz

@biohazard, thanks for the help, but I already had tried it with Altavista Babelfish, Google and a few other online translations. Unfortunately as you might easily deduce from this extract from the translation: the above sounds to me either: or, apart from a somewhat odd construction of the sentence, These automated systems, while making an exceptionally good work in giving at least a hint on what is going on, seems not to be able to produce translations safe enough for delicate matters, such as a boot manager can be (oops, the shortcut I just used does not defrag swap file, it low level formats all drives in the Domain...) jaclaz

@treeman Latex is a kind of evoluted text editor, originally unixish only, with exceptional features for the writing, between others, of mathematical formulas, schemas and the like. Have a look at it on the home page: http://www.latex-project.org/ http://www.latex-project.org/intro.html Now there are good windows ports, see here: http://www.miktex.org/ jaclaz

I already posted this request in the hardware forum, but since July 24th I had no response, maybe this is the more appropriate forum: I found about this bootmanager WWBMU: http://lab1.de/Central/Software/System-Tools/WWBMU/ From my little German knowledge, and with the help of Babelfish, I gathered enough to understand that it enables the possibility of switching systems via hardware. This looks to me as a very promising approach to multiboot. Is any member fluent in German willing to translate the page and/or contact the author to see if it is possible to have an English version? Thanks in advance, Jaclaz

@treeman Best buy in this kind of proggies is this (just my two cents): Mayura Draw (shareware $39) http://www.mayura.com/ Mayura Draw includes the traditional vector-drawing tools such as basic shapes, grouping and alignment, moving objects to front or back, resizing and rotating objects, and bezier curves. Import: AI, WMF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF and BMP formats. Export: SVG, EPS, PS, AI, PDF, WMF, EMF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, BMP and TIFF formats. Compatibility: Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP. LaTeX friendly: The EPS files generated by Mayura Draw are suitable for including in LaTeX documents. (much easier to learn than any CAD like product, of course it has less features) jaclaz